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Students and teachers at Johnstone Elementary School unveiled their new Garden of Hopes and Dreams on Thursday. Ashano Mills, a third-grader peeks at a bird feeder inside the garden.
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Johnstone Elementary School students learned that if you plant a seed and nourish it, something amazing happens.

It was a lesson shared with the local business people who donated the materials to help the students build the Garden of Hope and Dreams within the school's courtyard.

Donors were invited to the South Brewster Road school on Thursday to see the results.

Their contributions of lumber, mulch, seeds and paint had helped transform the weed-strewn grounds into a flourishing garden.

The students reaped some benefits as well.

Classes moved out into the sunshine. Science and math lessons involved digging in the soil and planting tender shoots.

To show their supporters how far they've come, the students and staff presented a musical photo montage of their progress. The idea of the garden started with teacher Gianna Porretta's special education class, and others soon joined the effort, said school Principal Louise Karwowski.

"Today is like the grand opening," she said.

When the school extension was built in 1998, there were plans for the courtyard, but they were scrapped when funding was cut, Karwowski said.

Over the years, adventurous teachers have ventured out to start a garden.

"But I'm going to tell you, this is the group that brought it home," the principal said. "And they did it because of all of you."

Hector Maestre, a second-grader, talked about the labor it took to get started.

"With a shovel, we had to take all the grass out," he said.

But the hard work was worth it, he said. His favorite part of the garden was the sunflowers.

One of the towering stems had grown so tall, it seemed to smile into a classroom window.

Third-grader Ashano Mills shook his head, admitting he wasn't a fan of the flowers.

"Allergies," his teacher explained.

Ashano showed the card he handcrafted to give one of the local business people. Illustrated with vegetables and flowers, Ashano wrote, "Thanks for the stuff you gave us, it really made the garden wonderful."

Brooklyn Bordeaux handed her rainbow card to Dawn Berry of Walmart, who listened to the young artist's interpretation of the drawing with a rainbow and a trio of smiling gardeners.

"Thank you for giving this to me," Berry told Brooklyn. "I'm going to hang it up at work so everyone can see it."

Each business was called up to receive a handshake, a pin of the school's owl mascot and a certificate.

The feeling of good will so filled third-grader Anyahz Robinson that he gave several donors a big hug as well.

Dan Harder of the Tractor Supply Co. recounted how school representatives came to his South Delsea Drive store asking for donations.

They gathered items including landscape timbers.

When it came to load the contributions, Harder asked where they had parked the truck.

The women pointed to an SUV. The lumber, buckets and a box of hats filled just about every inch of the vehicle's interior. It was then Harder said he learned all the women also had to fit inside to ride back to the school.

Managing to close the hatch, Harder told them "don't drive crazy."

The next time they came back, Harder said they arrived in a minivan.

Victor LaTorre of LaTorre Hardware & Garden Center gave items including seeds, plants and a hose.

"It's so big," he said, looking at the garden. "I was expecting a little plot; this was an amazing undertaking."

This was the third Vineland school garden his business had helped with donations.

Looking at the mini-farm containing strawberries, cucumbers, radishes and carrots, LaTorre smiled, acknowledging "this is getting back to the roots of our community."